Denmark goes on lockdown

The Nordic country follows in the footsteps of Italy aiming to delay the spread of coronavirus

Last night, 11 March 2020, Denmark became the 2^nd country in Europe to impose a lockdown on its territory as a response to the rapid rise in coronavirus cases.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the new drastic measures at a press conference on Wednesday evening. She presented a list of measures aimed at least partially delaying the spread of COVID-19 across Denmark

Changes in everyday life

First of all, all public sector employees who are not performing critical and vital functions and whose physical presence is not required on-site will be sent home on paid leave. Private sector employees and business owners are also encouraged to adapt their work to the times and consider working from home as much as possible.

Furthermore, all events hosting over 100 guests and participants will be banned starting Monday, 16 March 2020, when the new measures officially enter into force.

Schools, universities and all manner of cultural institutions are also getting closed across Denmark on Friday to limit the spread of the lethal disease. Not only that, but restaurants and bars are greatly encouraged to stay closed over the next couple of weeks.

The government’s main goal is to convince citizens of the benefits of self-isolation. The more people are ready to adapt to the unprecedented times and physically distance themselves from others, the easier will it be for the country’s healthcare system to deal with the rise in cases.

As of the writing of this article, there have been no deaths of the coronavirus in Denmark – yet the number of cases skyrocketed over the last couple of days – from less than 40 to more than 1300 in just a matter of hours.

The Danish government is also currently working on stimulus packages and different financial measures that will help businesses cope with the lack of customers throughout the lockdown.

With further tightening of the measures not out of the question, all citizens and authorities must adhere to the government’s guidelines and recommendations.

UPDATE 23 March: the lockdown has been extended until 13 April.